The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS), which includes more than 150 diverse labor, environmental, consumer, public health, food safety, financial reform, faith, and scientific integrity groups representing millions of Americans, strongly opposes the nomination of Representative John Michael ‘Mick’ Mulvaney for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director position and urges you to vote against his confirmation.

Both Rep. Mulvaney’s public statements and his voting record show that he is unfit and unqualified to run OMB. We cannot put our federal agencies and budget in the hands of someone who is willing to ‘play chicken’ with our debt ceiling, would like to put Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block, and calls into question the need for government-funded research.

This nomination gives the reins of government to someone who doesn’t value its continual and effective operation and calls government shutdowns ‘good policy’. Rep. Mulvaney was a proud leader of the 2011 government shutdown. He has repeatedly voted against raising the debt ceiling, and does not believe that failing to raise the debt limit would cause the government to default.

Rep. Mulvaney’s nomination threatens the scientific integrity of our public health and research institutions. He believes global warming is “based on questionable science” and has even questioned the scientific consensus that the Zika virus causes the birth defect microcephaly. He has gone one step further and questions the necessity of government-funded research.

The stability of our government institutions, and the health and welfare of the millions of Americans who depend on vital programs such as Medicare and Social Security would be put at great risk. Rep. Mulvaney has called Social Security a ‘Ponzi scheme’, advocates for the privatization of Medicare and promised to raise the retirement age for Medicare and Social Security programs significantly, taking away a service that has been paid for and earned through many decades of hard work.

OMB has a significant role in the regulatory process and agency priorities. As OMB Director, Rep. Mulvaney could strip agencies of their enforcement budgets thus eliminating their ability to protect public health and safety rules necessitated by Congressional legislation such as the Clean Air Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. He could even prioritize the interests of regulated industry entities over hard working Americans who would benefit from the public protections. Rep. Mulvaney has already expressed an interest in deregulating banks and doesn’t like “that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau exists”.

We need someone in the position of Director of OMB who believes in the vital role of government and federal institutions. Rep. Mulvaney does not. The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards urges you to reject the nomination of Rep. Mulvaney to the position of White House Office of Management and Budget Director.

Sincerely,

Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen
Chair, Coalition for Sensible Safeguards